2023 MLB playoff odds, Wild Card picks for Wednesday, Oct. 4 by proven model: This 3-way parlay pays 3-1

SportsLine's model has revealed its MLB picks, predictions, parlay and best bets for Wednesday, October 4

By CBS Sports Staff

Oct 4, 2023 at 1:14 pm ET • 2 min read

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The Tampa Bay Rays will try to avoid an early elimination from the 2023 MLB playoffs when they square off against the Texas Rangers on Wednesday in Game 2 of their American League Wild Card Series at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. The Rays won 99 games during the regular season, the fourth best total in all of baseball, but lost Game 1 on Tuesday, 4-0. Tampa Bay is a -149 favorite (risk $149 to win $100) in the latest MLB odds, while Texas is a +127 underdog. The over/under for runs scored is 8, and first pitch is scheduled for 3:08 p.m. ET.

The game is one of four Game 2s on the MLB Wild Card schedule for Wednesday. Elsewhere around the league, the Twins will try to win their first playoff series since 2002, against the Blue Jays, the Diamondbacks can close out the Brewers, and the Phillies will try to sweep the Marlins. Before making any MLB wild card picks or parlays, be sure to check out the MLB predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times. It went 331-285 on top-rated MLB money-line picks (+357) over the past two seasons. It entered the 2023 MLB playoffs 91-73 on all top-rated MLB picks this season and has excelled on top-rated run-line picks, going 18-6 (+766). Anybody following has seen big returns.

For Wednesday's Wild Card Series games, the model has locked in three MLB best bets. If you successfully parlay the picks, you'd be looking at a payout of well over 3-1. You can see the model's MLB picks only at SportsLine.

Top MLB picks for Wednesday

The model, which ran 10,000 simulations on each of the four games on Wednesday, is taking Philadelphia to eliminate the Marlins. Behind a raucous crowd in Game 1 at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies took a 1-0 series lead over Miami with a 4-1 victory. Philadelphia got 2.1 scoreless innings from its bullpen, continuing a season-long trend. During the regular season the Phillies' bullpen had the biggest improvement in ERA of any in baseball, dropping its ERA from 4.27 in 2022 to 3.56 this season.

On Wednesday, Philadelphia will again face a punchless Marlins lineup. During the regular season Miami averaged just 4.11 runs per game; only four teams averaged fewer, and all four of those teams missed the playoffs. The Marlins will have to solve Phillies starter Aaron Nola, who was much better at home (6-3, 3.29 ERA) this season than on the road (6-6, 5.43). See the model's top MLB picks here.